Hong Kong bars Air India flights for fourth time as passengers test positive for Covid-19

Hong Kong has banned Air India flights from Mumbai until November 10 after a number of passengers on its flight earlier this week examined positive for Covid-19 publish arrival, a senior authorities official stated on Wednesday.

This is the fourth time that Air India flights from India have been banned by the Hong Kong authorities for bringing passengers who examined positive for the an infection after arrival.

Previous bans have been on the airline’s Delhi-Hong Kong flights throughout August 18-31, September 20-October 3, and October 17-30.

Passengers from India can arrive in Hong Kong provided that they’ve a Covid-19 damaging certificates from a test executed inside 72 hours previous to the journey, in response to guidelines issued by the Hong Kong authorities in July.

Moreover, all worldwide passengers are required to bear a post-flight Covid-19 test on the Hong Kong airport.

Besides India, a pre-flight Covid-19 damaging certificates is obligatory for all passengers from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, France, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, the UK and the US, in response to the Hong Kong authorities’s guidelines.

An airline working a flight to Hong Kong from these international locations has to submit a type earlier than departure, stating that every one passengers onboard have Covid-19 damaging certificates.

“A few passengers who travelled on Air India’s Mumbai-Hong Kong flight earlier this week tested positive for Covid-19 post arrival at Hong Kong,” the senior authorities official stated.

“Subsequently, the Mumbai-Hong Kong flights have been barred from October 28 to November 10 by the Hong Kong government,” the official added.

Scheduled worldwide passenger flights proceed to stay suspended in India since March 23 as a result of pandemic.

However, the Indian airways have been permitted to function particular worldwide flights underneath the Vande Bharat Mission since May this yr and underneath the bilateral air bubble pacts since July this yr.

Under a bilateral air bubble pact, the airways of each international locations can function worldwide flights with sure restrictions. India has fashioned such pacts with roughly 18 international locations.